All - Leep Calendar

Chocolate candy required several inventions before it could come to reality. Chocolate beans have been used since around 1900 BC by the people of Central America, usually as a bitter drink, often alcoholic or with red peppers. (It is quite a treat if you’ve never tried hot chocolate with red peppers using hot water instead of milk!) On his fourth voyage, it would take Christopher Columbus brought this delicious bean to Europe. He noted the encounter in his ship’s log on August 15, 1502. Later, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés would bring the bean back in bulk a few decades later (he was only 17 when Columbus found it). But in its Central American form, it wasn’t the sweet treat we see today. That required several inventions: John Baker’s process of grounding between millstones of cocoa beans to create a powder in 1764. Conrad Van Houten developed a method for extracting cacao liquor from the fat in the cocoa bean in 1828, which made chocolate affordable. And finally, the development of conching by Swiss chocolatier Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The rest is sweet history. There are several different types of cocoa beans. Though native to the Americas, nearly two-thirds of cocoa production today occurs in Africa, and Ivory Coast is the largest producer.

Africa

Dec

Chocolate Covered Anything Day, Ntl.: December 16

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The idea of covering fruits, nuts, and even nougat with chocolate wasn’t possible until the 19th century. The technology needed to separate chocolate from cocoa butter wouldn’t be invented until 1828 by Conrad Van Houten in today’s Netherlands. Without this process, chocolate could only be used as a spice, much the same way you would use cinnamon or ginger. Fortunately, the process was developed, and different techniques, including conching, invented by Rudolph Lindt in 1879, would eventually lead to that box of chocolates everyone loves to get. Chocolate Covered Anything Day is an unofficial holiday with no sponsor.

Africa

Dec

Christmas Bird Count (US/UK/CA): December 14-January 5, 2026

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Each year the Audubon Society hosts a three-week bird count across the United States and Canada. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count mobilizes over 72,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,500 locations across the Western Hemisphere. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that scientists could never accomplish alone. Data compiled locally will record every bird and bird species seen in a specified area, contributing to a vast citizen science network that continues a tradition stretching back more than 100 years. Over 300 peer-reviewed articles have resulted from analysis done with Christmas Bird Count data. Bird-related citizen science efforts are also critical to understanding how birds respond to a changing climate. This documentation enabled Audubon scientists to discover that 314 species of North American birds are threatened by global warming, as reported in Audubon’s groundbreaking Birds and Climate Change Study. The tradition of counting birds combined with modern technology and mapping enables researchers to make discoveries that were not possible in earlier decades. Birders of all ages are welcome to contribute to this fun, nationwide citizen science project, which provides ornithologists with a crucial snapshot of our native bird populations during winter. Each count is performed in a count circle with a diameter of 15 miles. At least ten volunteers, including a compiler to coordinate the process, count in each loop. The volunteers break up into small parties and follow assigned routes, which change little from year to year, counting every bird they see. Some people watch feeders, while others count in defined circles and paths.

Africa

Dec

Christmas Card Day: December 9

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Christmas cards have been around since Sir Henry Cole commissioned the creation of such on May 1, 1843. John Callcott Horsley in London illustrated this first set of cards. Sir Henry created the penny post office in Britain. Queen Victoria had just commissioned the first stamps, which made posting a letter something even the ordinary citizen could afford. Coupled with the railroad, goods, services, and messages were suddenly able to move around the kingdom at a fraction of the cost. Prior to stamps, only the wealthy could afford to send letters via couriers. Sir Henry came up with the idea for Christmas cards as he was designing the systems for what would become Royal Mail and looking for ways to encourage the public to use the services. Within the next six years, Christmas cards would reach the United States. In 1875, German immigrant Louis Prang began printing and mass-producing them. Cards, and especially Christmas Cards, became big business. Finally, on January 10, 1910, Joyce Hall and his brothers formed Hallmark cards, beginning with just two shoeboxes full of postcards. In 1915 they bought their first printing press and started producing cards in-house. Hallmark would go on to define the industry and create many of the cards, holidays, and traditions we see today.

Africa

Dec

Christmas Day (C): December 25

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Christmas Day is the second most important day in the Christian calendar, second only to Easter. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ sometime between 1 BC and 1 AD. (There is no year "0"). Christians believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, the messiah promised to the Israelites (and later the Hebrews), and He is the world's savior. Christmas means "The mass of Christ." Christmas is observed by over 2 billion people each year. Some denominations observe it on December 25, and others choose January 7, the day after the Epiphany, or March 25, when the angel told the Virgin Mary that she would have the messiah. Emperor Constantine was the first to declare December 25 as the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in 336 AD, and Pope Julius I confirmed the date a few years later. In reality, it is believed that Jesus was born in the early spring as The Bible story of the nativity details the census, the reason the family traveled to Bethlehem, in some detail. The actual date of His birth is not included in scripture.

Africa

Dec

Christmas Eve (C): December 24

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Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas Day. Christmas Day is the second most important day in the Christian calendar, second only to Easter. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ sometime between 1 BC and 1 AD. (There is no year "0"). Christians believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, the messiah promised to the Israelites (and later the Hebrews), and He is the world's savior. Christmas means "The mass of Christ." Christmas is observed by over 2 billion people each year. Some denominations observe it on December 25, and others choose January 7, the day after the Epiphany, or March 25, when the angel told the Virgin Mary that she would have the messiah. Emperor Constantine was the first to declare December 25 as the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in 336 AD, and Pope Julius I confirmed the date a few years later. In reality, it is believed that Jesus was born in the early spring as The Bible story of the nativity details the census, the reason the family traveled to Bethlehem, in some detail. The actual date of His birth is not included in scripture.

Africa

Dec

Christmastide: December 25-January 5

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The Twelve Days of Christmas, or Christmastide, is the period between Christmas Day and the Epiphany. Christmas Day is the second most important day in the Christian calendar, second only to Easter, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ sometime between 1 BC and 1 AD—there is no year zero. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Messiah promised to the Israelites and Hebrews, and the world's savior. Christmas means "The mass of Christ." Christmas is observed by over two billion people worldwide. Some denominations observe it on December 25, and others choose January 7, the day after the Epiphany, or March 25, the day an angel told the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Roman emperor Constantine was the first to declare December 25 as the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in 336 AD, and Pope Julius I confirmed the date a few years later. In reality, Jesus was born in the early spring, as the bible story of the nativity details the spring census, the reason the family traveled to Bethlehem. The actual date of His birth is not in scripture. The Epiphany is on January 6. It is the day God revealed to the magi (the three kings who were not Hebrew. These men traveled to visit the newborn Christ) that Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised and that God manifests within Him, which is significant. Before this event, the covenant of God was with the Hebrews and, before them, the Israelites exclusively. Through a revelation to the magi, God began His covenant with all mankind, allowing every human to choose God rather than having an exclusively chosen people.

Africa

Dec

Cider Monday: December 1

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Cider Monday rounds out Thanksgiving Weekend by encouraging stores to offer free cider and holiday treats to people that come out and support brick-and-mortar stores. This event first ran in 2013.

Africa

Dec

Civil Aviation Day, Intl. (1944): December 7

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International Civil Aviation Day marks the anniversary of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) creation in Chicago in 1944. The United Nations acknowledges the day.

Africa

Dec

Clerc-Galladet Week (1787): December 3-10

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The District of Columbia Public Library established Clerc-Gallaudet Week in 1974 to honor two pioneers in deaf education, Laurent Clerc, born December 26, 1785, and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, born December 10, 1787. Clerc was a deaf teacher from France, and Gallaudet was a hearing minister from Connecticut. The two met in 1815, and together they would create the foundation for American Sign Language, deaf culture, and deaf education in the United States. This annual celebration honors their achievements and supports the needs of America's deaf community.

Africa

Dec

Cocoa Day: December 13*

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Cocoa, the base ingredient of chocolate, is truly a family affair. Currently, 90% of all cocoa comes from family farms of fewer than five hectares each. The Mayans were the first to use cocoa beans with peppers for medicine as a beverage and spice. The debate continues as to who, the ancient Olmec or the Mayans, were the first civilization to farm cocoa beans around 1000BC purposely. What we do know is this delicacy of the new world was first encountered by Christopher Columbus when he landed on the island of Guanaja in 1502. However, it would have to wait until Hernan Cortez arrived in Tabasco in 1519 before the world realized its actual culinary value. Cortez was presented with cocoa beans by the ruler of the Aztecs, Montezuma. For the Aztecs, the cocoa plant was sacred. Cortez brought the beans back to Europe, and the customs of drinking and preparing the bitter bean were made heavenly by sweetening. The rest is history. On National Cocoa Day, we appreciate the origins of the cocoa bean and enjoy the delicacies it creates. The most common way to celebrate in the cold months of December is with a cup of hot chocolate. National Cocoa Day is an unofficial holiday with no sponsor.

Africa

Dec

Commemoration Day, (CI)(1993): December 7

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Commemoration Day in Côte d'Ivoire marks the anniversary of December 7, 1993, the day the nation's first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, (Papa Houphouët to his people), passed away. Commemoration Day is a national holiday.

Africa

Dec

Computer Science Education Week (1906): December 8-14 (est)

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Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is organized yearly around computer pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper's birthday, December 9, 1906. Its purpose is to enthuse K-12 students with the possibilities available to them in STEM careers. This event has the support of over 100,000 teachers and educators across the globe. One of the events planned during CSEdWeek is Code Hour®, which is one hour set aside during the week for children to learn code.

Africa

Dec

Constipation Awareness Month: December

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December was declared Constipation Awareness Month sometime ago and is observed fastidiously in the healthcare industry despite being absent from official status since 2012. In Western cultures, December is a time of overeating, rich foods, and high alcohol consumption. For many, this causes stomach issues ranging from indigestion to constipation. Holistic remedies and physical activity can often prevent or relieve this issue. If left unchecked, constipation kills. December presents an excellent opportunity to explore solutions and learn to eat in such a way that your health remains good.

Africa

Dec

Constitution Day, (ES)(1978): December 6

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Constitution Day in Spain marks the anniversary of December 6, 1978, when the people of Spain approved a new constitution. Constitution Day is a national holiday.

Africa